Lan's voice was low, almost casual, when he asked, "What do you mean by that?"
The duke, seated rigidly at the head of the long banquet table, exhaled as though releasing a weight he had carried for too long. His jeweled fingers tapped against the polished wood, each beat like the toll of a funeral bell.
"The kingdom has betrayed us," he said, his tone sharp with scorn. "Not only did they refuse to send reinforcements despite knowing of your arrival—they withdrew every regiment stationed here. Every sword, every shield, taken from Verdelane. We were abandoned, left to die at your hand."
Lan studied him in silence, pale grey eyes unblinking.
The duke pressed on, the bitterness in his voice cutting deeper. "Tell me, Prince Lanard, what loyalty do I owe to a crown that abandons its own? To a king who cares not whether his people live or die? No—I have no interest in serving such a man."
